Recent developments known under the keywords Web2.0 or Social Media use the existing, worldwide network of computers (Internet) to make it possible for many internetworked users to interactively interchange information. Assessment and commenting are crucial basic functions in this case which are applied to data records, in particular data records containing media data. Users are often registered with many portals or with different services which provide different functionalities. In the case of media data in particular, such as music titles or videos, there are many possibilities for carrying out actions on the basis of an assessment. For example, video contributions can be sorted in an online portal, favorites lists can be created or an item of meta information associated with the data record can be communicated together with the personal rating in social networks. A genre, title or performer name of a music title, in particular, comes into consideration here as meta information.
Further examples are the creation of personal favorites lists, in particular locally or in online radio aggregators on the Internet, the automatic creation of playlists on the basis of an assessment carried out by the user and the possibility, available in many places on the Internet, of using a mouse click on a button intended for assessment to declare whether the user is enjoying the media content displayed on a website, for example.
Different online music services provide, for example, music recognition services which are able to associate meta data with unknown, digital or analog music data. Other online music services make it possible to select similar music depending on preference or the musical style currently being listened to. Personalized radio plays music which corresponds, to the greatest possible extent, to currently selected preferences and is individually adjusted on the basis of user interaction. The inclusion of data records or media data, in particular media data corresponding to music titles, in social networks is becoming standard in more and more services. Recent developments show an increasing availability of media contents and widespread interweaving of individual services.
The availability of devices which provide a connection to the Internet is constantly increasing. In this respect, reference is made to the development of so-called smartphones or other communication devices with Internet capability such as netbooks, tablet PCs, handheld consoles or ebook readers. The provision of a connection to the Internet for a driver of a motor vehicle if required has likewise been established for some years. In this case, large displays and powerful computers of modern multimedia infotainment systems make it possible to use online functionalities even during the journey. However, continuous provision of the connection to the Internet from the motor vehicle is typically not provided.
In this case, the portable communication device, in particular the smartphone, is frequently used as an interface to the Internet even during use from a motor vehicle. It is likewise known to adapt applications, so-called “apps”, installed on the communication device for use in the motor vehicle. For example, applications for portable communication devices, in particular navigation applications, which are provided with enlarged virtual operating elements for use in the motor vehicle are known. These are typically associated with regions of a touch-sensitive surface of the smartphone. It is likewise known to transfer the display of the portable communication device to a display in the motor vehicle, in particular of the multimedia infotainment system. The portable communication device may be connected to an input unit in the motor vehicle and may thus be used in a motor vehicle. The multiplicity of Web2.0 services results in problems with the multilevel assessment schemes which are used and typically predefine different numbers of assessment levels. For example, a user wishing to give a positive assessment of a piece of music must make a corresponding user specification for each social network or for each playlist to be created.